NA deputies stress the necessity to reform school textbooks

Updated: 10:51’ - 25/06/2014

The need for the National Assembly (NA) to issue a new resolution was urgent as the previous resolution was 14 years old, said Nguyen Vinh Hien, Deputy Minister of Education and Training at the 27th session of the NA Standing Committee which opened in Hanoi on April 14, where NA deputies discussed the reform of school textbooks and curricula.

Pupils’ parents buy textbooks at a bookshop of Hanoi Book and School Equipment
Company in Ly Thuong Kiet street, Hanoi__Photo: Quy Trung/VNA

“Textbooks are now too theoretical, impractical and do not pay enough attention to teaching other skills necessary to succeed,” Hien said, adding that “many of the topics and knowledge covered are too heavy, especially for ethnic minority pupils and those living in mountainous areas.”

The reform project is scheduled to be carried out from October. Experimental textbooks for the first, sixth and eighth grades would be compiled in the first phase. Textbooks for the remaining grades would be created from 2016 to 2020.

Some of the proposed changes include equipping students with skills for self-learning, communicating and logical thinking. The changes would also allow them to choose optional subjects at upper secondary schools, and require them to memorize less and be more creative.

“We have to reform teaching curricula at schools and build a clear-cut strategy of investment for developing teaching infrastructure that must go along with this reform effort”, said Dao Trong Thi, chairman of the NA Committee for Culture, Education and Youth Affairs.

During this 10-day session, NA deputies discussed the 2015 supervisory programs of the NA and the NA Standing Committee; the 2015 law- and ordinance-making program and adjustments to the NA’s law- and ordinance-making programs of the XIIIth Legislature and 2014.

The NA Standing Committee also commented on the revision of the NA’s Resolution No. 35 on votes of confidence for holders of positions elected or approved by the NA or People’s Councils; citizen reception; settlement of petitions, complaints and denunciations.